The Hardest Story to Tell
by Adventure-Seeking-Juliet
Summary: Belle tells a stranger her story. For kmp121183's song prompt, Happy Ending, by Mika.


**The Hardest Story to Tell**

****Written by: Adventure-Seeking-Juliet

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even a snippet of Once Upon a Time belongs to me.

A/N Belle tells a stranger her story. For _kmp121183_'s song prompt, _Happy Ending,_ by Mika. This is not the best prompt fill I've ever written and I'm terribly sorry! If you want me to try again, let me know!

_Please_, enjoy~

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Belle was lying on the floor of her cell, as she usually did after the Queen's 'interrogations.'

When she had first arrived, the Queen had 'interrogated' her every night. She would ask about Rumpelstiltskin's past. His likes. His habits.

When Belle didn't answer, Regina would pull off her fingernails or pluck her eyelashes. Then the Queen would _make_ them grow back, so that she could repeat the same process again the next night.

When Regina grew bored with that kind of torture, she resorted to scourging and flaying her little prisoner.

And after each gruesome attack, Regina would heal Belle so that she was _good as new_ for the next night of questions.

Eventually, the Queen stopped visiting every night. She stopped torturing Belle physically.

Instead, she created cruel spells that messed with Belle's head. There were spells where she was forced to relive her worst moments over and over again.

There were spells that flaunted her worst fears in her face. There were spells that made her think Rumpelstiltskin or her father was with her in her prison.

Sometimes, the mind games lasted for days, but Belle was never broken. She never told the Queen what she wanted...and eventually, Regina moved on to new and more pressing prisoners.

_Regina only came to Belle when she was bored and needed a toy to play with._

Belle was usually untouched when Regina imprisoned someone new, but this time, Regina had ignored her new prisoner- Prince James.

The two had bantered for a while. Regina had taunted Charming...Charming had threatened Regina.

But then Regina had decided to take her anger out on Belle. She pulled off Belle's fingernails...she forced her to relive her worst moments...

And when she was gone, Belle could do nothing but stare at the ceiling. She wondered how much more she could take before she talked.

Belle could only hope she would die before she found out.

"Are you alright?"

Belle was too tired to sit up, but she knew it must have been James who had spoken.

It had been so long since she had used her voice that it took her a moment to find it," Not really. Are _you_?"

"No," James replied, quietly.

Belle remained silent until the prince spoke again," Does she _always_ torture you like that?"

"She switches it up every time, so that I'm surprised," Belle explained, barely managing a fake laugh.

The Prince didn't find her joke very funny, and Belle couldn't blame him.

The only person who could have found humor in her morbid comment was Rumpelstiltskin. And he was off at his castle, spinning wheels.

"Why does she do it?" James asked," What is it she wants you to say?"

Belle takes a second to ponder his question, then sits up.

"I imagine she wants me to tell her my story. She wants to know everything I can possibly tell her about my true love."

James stared at Belle, confused," Well...what _is_ your story?"

Belle smiled at James," Are you sure you want to know? It's not all that interesting, really."

"It's not like we have anything better to do, "Charming replied, shrugging.

Belle had been _dying_ to tell someone her story for so long...but she found it rather difficult to actually speak the words aloud.

"I had to give up my freedom to save my home," Belle started, trying not to mention any specifics," And I became the caretaker of a castle."

" I fell in love with my captor...a man who was cursed with dark magic...and he loved me back. The Queen told me that true love's kiss would break any curse."

Belle paused and glanced at James, unsure of how to continue her tale.

"And? What happened?"

"It worked. It was true love, but my captor was a coward. He chose his power over me. He told me to leave, but after I did, the Queen caught up to me."

Belle was momentarily silent," So here I am."

James was staring at Belle," And you still love him? Even though he hasn't rescued you?"

Belle nodded," He's not the type of man to come bounding in on a white horse, but I will always love him."

James merely sighed," I understand completely."

"The story of love is always the hardest to tell," Belle agreed, turning her face from the light so that the prince couldn't see her tears.

"There's no hope, love,_ or_ glory when you've lost true love." James bowed his head, looking miserable.

"True love is never really lost," Belle said, staring up at the ceiling once again," _Not really_."

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A/N Probably not what you wanted from that prompt...but it had me stumped for quite a while. I'm terribly sorry!

**If you would like to prompt me, please private message me your prompt or leave it in a review! I'll take anything from summaries, to songs, to pictures, to short phrases.**

Please review, if you know what I mean.


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